Fifth street will make or break who ultimately takes the pot
In Texas Hold’em, the river is the culmination of all the actions and strategies applied throughout in a poker hand, yet it is one of the most fascinating betting rounds, as well. One final card can change the entire situation and turn things around in favor of another player at the table. Once the last card is out, players are forced to take quick actions, regardless of the combination of cards they are keeping. Therefore, a good betting strategy during the river becomes of most importance.
First of all, players need to be realistic if neither the flop, turn or even river didn’t produce the desired card. The best way to go will be to check and forget about putting any bets. Then, it become important to pay attention to the other bets in the table and how other players react. It might be a good time to step back in case of a low-level hand. Betting on the river with a weak hand will end up in three different outcomes, all negative. Either the opponent calls with a better hand, the opponent folds or it gives you no chance to bluff a weaker hand; none of those actions will make you win.
On the other hand, things change a lot if you are sure to have the best hand. This is the time to bet big, only to get more chips but because it makes sense in a simple case of economics. The more you bet, the less response you will have, and, in three out of ten cases, opponents will fold. If you bet a lower amount, then there is more chance that more opponents decide to call the bet, but with a lesser amount bet, then the prize pool will be smaller so it could be not worth the effort if having a winning hand.
